Monday, July 13, 2015

Recap: D-League Select 94, Wizards 74

Scotty Hopson has spent the better portion of his five-year professional career in Europe and in the D-League.

The 6-foot-7-inch forward is hoping that changes after the NBA Summer League, where he is making a strong case for some extended NBA time.

Hopson, who has played in two NBA games with the Cavaliers, scored a team-high 20 points Sunday in the D-League Select's 94-74 win over the Washington Wizards at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

It was the second time in two games Hopson has led the D-League Select in scoring, as he dropped 27 points in a loss to the Rockets on Friday. His performance on Sunday comes on another strong shooting performance.

The former Tennessee standout finished 7-for-10 from the field and went 1-for-2 from the 3-point line. He also was 8-for-10 from the free-throw line for the D-League Select, which held a 50-33 lead at halftime.

Romero Osby, a former Oklahoma standout, added 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting. He went 4-for-5 from long distance and had six rebounds.

Second-year swingman Casey Prather, a Florida product, contributed 13 points and eight rebounds for the D-League Select, which shot 34 of 71 (47.9 percent) from the field and 8 of 19 (42.1 percent) on 3-pointers. After overcoming a seven-point deficit in the first quarter, the D-League Select never trailed again and led by as many as 24 points.

Washington's Kelly Oubre Jr., the 15th overall pick, finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, but shot 5-for-17 from the field while playing a game-high 32 minutes. The rookie out of Kansas showed a great deal of potential, but also struggled at times. He failed to make a 3-pointer on five attempts and committed three turnovers and six fouls.

The Wizards didn't fare much better from the floor, shooting 18 of 72 (25.0 percent). Jarrid Famous, who spent time in the D-League and Philippines last season, led Washington with 21 points. The center also pulled down 10 rebounds and had three steals.

The D-League Select's Hasheem Thabeet, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, notched four points and three rebounds before he was ejected late in the second quarter for arguing a foul call. Thabeet was issued back-to-back technical fouls.

The D-League Select returns to action Monday, when it faces the Atlanta Hawks at 3 p.m. Washington will play at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks.